The 2025-26 Premier League season has reached its final week, and Arsenal still have a shot at their first title since 2003-04. They host Burnley on Monday, then wait on results that could hand them the trophy before the final round of fixtures.
If results go the right way over the next 48 hours, Arsenal could be crowned champions before Sunday’s closing games. That would turn a tense finish into a brief formality for Mikel Arteta’s side, while every match on the final day still carries some significance or jeopardy for the rest of the table.
Steve Nicol called it sad that Arsenal’s last game of the season could be spoiled by a reserve Crystal Palace lineup, a reminder that the league’s final stretch rarely unfolds the way the schedule intends. The broader picture is even stranger: this season has become the most exciting and unpredictable since the Premier League began in 1992-93.
Arsenal are not alone in living through the consequences. Manchester United have climbed from their worst-ever Premier League finish of 15th last season to third position and a Champions League place, with Bruno Fernandes matching the assist record jointly held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry with one more game left. Liverpool, meanwhile, go into Sunday’s meeting with Brentford at Anfield at risk of missing out on Champions League qualification if they lose, even after spending almost £450 million on new players last summer.
The final week is also still alive at the other end and on the European line. Sunderland head into their last game at home to Chelsea knowing a win could secure Conference League qualification, an outcome that would be unusual for a club that came up through the Championship playoffs last season. Nottingham Forest, after three managerial changes and the hiring of a fourth in Vitor Pereira, have already done enough to retain their top-flight status.
That is why Monday matters for Arsenal and why Sunday matters for almost everyone else. Burnley’s meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers will decide who avoids finishing bottom, Tuesday brings Bournemouth against Manchester City and Chelsea against Spurs, and the final round on Sunday could still alter the shape of the table in several directions.
For Arsenal, the path is simple and unforgiving: beat Burnley, hope the results break their way, and do not assume the league will politely wait for a title race that has dragged all the way to the edge.
